The Barnesville-Lamar County Library will kickoff their summer reading program Saturday, June 4 with a Race for Reading 5K starting at Summers Field Park.

Registration begins at 7 a.m. the day of the race and will include a $30 entry fee. The race will begin at 8 a.m. Runners may choose to pre-register until May 31. The cost for pre-registration is $25. Pre-registration for students and children under 12 is $15. All runners who pre-register will receive a ‘Race for Reading’ t-shirt. Proceeds will benefit library youth services.

The library’s summer reading program is an annual event that keeps children reading all summer.

“When classes end in May and a child does not continue reading throughout the summer, their reading skills could be affected and cause lag at the beginning of the next school year,” said summer reading coordinator Amanda Bernard. “The program gives children something new to do and the opportunity to see new things. This year’s program will include appearances by Southern Reptile Rescue’s Jason Clark, magician and puppeteer Arthur Astma, Parrott Productions’ Brenda Bean, juggler Ron Anglin and others.”

This year the library will also introduce a teen summer program that will feature workshops in photography, creative writing, decoration and also a teens vs. adults ‘Iron Chef.’ These programs are scheduled to begin on June 13 and will be held every Monday at 6 p.m. Teens 13 and above are invited to attend.

Every year almost 400 children register for the library’s summer reading program and proceeds from this year’s kick-off will be used to fund more activities and more books for these same children.

“The theme for this year’s program is sports,” said Bernard. “We thought a race would be a great way to kick-off this theme and encourage participation and healthy living habits.”

Registration forms for the race can be found at the library and participants are encouraged to pre-register for a free t-shirt.